Port construction for metallurgical furnaces



G. F. DOWNS AND H. F. MILLER, JR-

PORT CONSTRUCTION FOR METALLURGICAL FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED MAH- 30,1913- 1,343,314. PatentedJune 15, 1920.

3 SHttTS-ShEET l.

G. F. DOWNS AND H. F. MILLER, .IR.

PORT CONSTRUCTION FOR METALLURGICAL FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. I918.

Patented June 15, 1920.

3 SHEEIS-SHEET Z- A G. F. DOWNS AND H. F. MILLER, .IR. PORT CONSTRUCTION FOR METALLURGICAL FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30,1918.

Patented June 15, 1920.

3 SHLEISSHEET 3.

f UNHTED'M- srATss GEORGE r.- nowns AND HERBERT Minna, m; or BUrraL 'nEw MILLER Assmmoaro sup DOWNS. 1

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roar cons'rnucrron Eon mE'rALEUneIcAnFuRNAcEs.

To all whom it may concern. I

Be it known that we, GEORGE F. DowNs and HERBERT F. MILLER, J r., citizens of the United States, and residen'ts'of Bufi'alo, in the-county ofjErie and State. of New York, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Port Construction for MetaL lurgical, Furnaces; and we dohereby declare that the following .is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawin and to the letters of reference marke v thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel and .usej-- ful improvement in the port construction of metallurgical.- furnaces and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more In metallurgical furnaces as usually 'built and particularlyin open'hearth furnaces,

As'a result of this arrangement, and the I location of the air containing the oxygen for combustion above the'body of fuel, the fuel does not develop the proper flame temperature next to the bath, where it is needed,

until such time elapses as is required for the air to diffuse through to the bottom layer of the body of gaseous fuel.

This condition is clearly. indicated appearance of. that portion of the charge which has been directly under the gas or fuel as it issued from the port, which, when the gas is shut off, is observed to be much darker in appearance than the rest of the charge. The interpretation of this appearance of the charge is that while the rest of the charge may be melting or gaining heat, the portion that remains dark, is a freezing surface. That is, when the charge or bath 'has reached a higher temperature than that ar-' vticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

by the Another disadvantage of the portcon struction of the presentpractice, is that there is no satisfactory means fOI'IZOII'BCiZ'. mg the directlon of the flame once the furnace 1s put 1n operation, unless the furnace is shut down. and expensive repairs are made. The lack of means for changing the direction of the flame While the furnace is. 1n operation causes exceedingly costly and.

frequent repairs.

One object of our invention is to provide object of" the invention is to provide facili Specification of Letters ream. Patentd J 15, 1920. A man filed March so, me Serial m5. 225,647.

ties to, control the direction of the flam .wh1le the'furnace is in operation. T1 1 and other advantages of our invention will tion. 4 In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view representing inlongi tudinal section, one end of an open hearth furnace provided with our improvements.

.Fig. 2 is a view representing a horizontal section through Fig. 1 in. a by the line 2- -2 thereof. Fig. 3 is a View representing a' vertical ppear as we proceed with our specifica plane indicated n section through Fig. 1 in a plane indicated by the line 3-3 thereof.

Fig. 4 is a view representing a vertical section through Fig. 1 in a plane. indicated by the line 414. thereof. Fig.5- is'a view representing a partia section through the improved; port construction in a F 1 plane indicated by the line 5-5 of 1 ig. 6 is a View representing a partial section through Fig. 1 in a plane indicated by the line 6--6 thereof.

Referring now to that embodiment of our invention illustrated in the drawings :--10

indicates as a whole, an open hearth furnaceprovided with our improved port'construction, and 11, the furnace chamber. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) 12 indicates the gas uptake; 13, the air. uptake; 14 indicates the gas port and 15, the air port.

16 indicates a gas flue, which provides the connection between the gas uptake 12 andthe furnace chamber 11. Saidfiue is, as

shown, of the kind described in an applica tion heretofore filed by George F. Downs on March 5, 1918, Serial Number 220,454. It is made of metal and consists of two con centrically arranged, radially spaced, tubular members 17, 18 which are connected to-' gether at their ends to provide a cooling water jacket space Mi -surrounding the port or flue space defined by the inner tubular member 18.

The flue 16 is positioned inothe port of the furnace over the air uptake 13 and has its outer end extended into the gas uptake 12 through an opening in the upright wall 12 that separates the gas uptake-from the air uptake.

This opening in the wall 12 is ofa di ameter somewhat greater than that of the 'flue 16,'which extends through it to permit of an adjustment of the longitudinal axis of said flue with reference to the furnace cham-' ber, after which the annular space between that part of said wall 12 defining said opening and said flue is filled with some comparatively soft material 12", such as a cementtrouS; mixture of brick'dust, which may n removed when a new adjustment said flue is desired. When this new 1 adjustment has been made, said space is -ag ainfilljed up as before mentioned.

' The flue 16 is supported in position by two pipes 19, 20, located at the ends of the flue and connected to the outer tubular member 17 in such a manner as to communicate with the interior ofthe jacket space 16. Said pipes serve for the introduction into, and discharge from, the jacket space of a cooling medlum such as water-,-'-the pipe 19 being the discharge pipe and the pipe 20 being the inlet pipe. Flexible hose 19, 20*, are connected to the .u per ends of said pipes,-the hose 20 'lea ing from a source of water supply, and the pipe 19 leadingto a place for suitable disposal of the water after it has space 16.

Each pipe (19, 20) is suspended by means of a screw device 21 mounted on atransverse beam 22 that is suitably supported above the top of the furnace.- Saidscrew device consists of a threaded block 23 in which is engaged a tubular thimble 24 through which the associated pipe 19, 20 extends, a collar 25 fixed to the pipe 20 engaging on the top end of said thimble and the thimble itself being provided with radial arms 26 for hand rotating it to raise or lower the pipe.

The pipe 19 is located outside the end wall of the furnace as shown. ,The pipe 20 extends through an opening. 28 in the top wall 11 of the furnace, being provided with a covering 27 of refractory material such as that composed of sectional sleeve brick shown.

.When it is desired to regulate the height and inclination of the longitudinal, centralv passed through the jacket vices 21, 21, are actuated to raise or lower 1 said flue the bottomsof the collars 25 being provide with spherical surfaces'25 to facilitate the adjustment. The flue may also be adjusted at its inner end in a horizontal direction, by means, of a horizontal rod 29 which is connected at one end by a collar 29 to the pipe 20 and at its other 'end'has a threaded part 30 engaged in a rotatable block 31 provided wlth a hand wheel 32.

\The block 31 is fixed in a horizontal direction, although capable of rotative movement, so that the rotation of the block will cause the rod 29 to move longitudinally in one direction or the other so as to swing the pipe 20, and with it, the inner end of the flue 16, in a horizontal direction;

After the desired adjustment has been made, a new soft filling 12 is used to a ain close up the space about the flue 16. hile this is the preferred method .of providing for the adjustment of the fluefsaid flue by rgason of itsbeing suspendedindependently 0 an '12, t rough which. the flue extends, to be partly removed, so that the-flue is free to be adjusted as before described, after which the bricks may be easily replaced .so as to surround said flue.

The inner end of the flue 16 is, as clearly illustrated in the drawings (see Figs. 1, 3 and 1), free and clear. ofthe walls defining the air port 15, so that the air coming from theair uptake 13 will completely surround the bod' of fuel as it passes from the gas flue to t e hearth in the furnace chamber 11.

wall, permits'the brick of that will the jacket space around the flue and this water is introduced at a lower level than the level of discharge, as is manifest from an examination of Flg. 1.

The flue, as shown, is provided with a cleaning device which consists of a pipe 33 extending longitudinally between the walls of the jacket spacel6 and in a direction parallel to the longitudinal, central axis of the flue. This pipe is provided at its inner end with a curved, discharge or nozzle pipe 34, perforated for the discharge .of air under pressure. The outer end of tends'through a pipe 36 of larger diameter which is provided at its outer end with a stufling box 37, this construction being required because the coolin water discharge is at a higher level than t e end of the pipe apparent that our novel port construction provides means for introducing air from the air uptake at an elevation belowthe body of the fuel or gas introduced into the furnace chamber and directed toward the hearth of a furnace of the kind described. This is a distinctly novel departure from the practice heretofore of introducing the air through apassageway or port above or at a hlgher elevation than the body of the fuel entering through the gas port. In our construction, the,fuel or gas as it escapes from the orifice of the gas flue, is entirely surrounded by pre-heated air before it reaches the hearth, with the result that the freezing area of the charge that has heretofore maintained in furnaces of the kind, is entirely eliminated. In addition, in the improvedconstruction, means is provided for adjusting from the outside of the furnace, the position of the gas flue in a vertical and horizontal direction during the operation of the furnace, so as to change or correct the direction of the flame upon the charge on the hearth.

While in describing our invention, we have referred to certain details of construction and arrangement of parts, it is to be understood that our invention is in no way to be limited thereto, except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

,We claim as our invention 1. In a furnace of the kind described, in combination with the furnace walls defining gas and air uptakes and an air port connecting the air uptake with the interior of the furnace, means providing a flue extending into said air portv to connect the gas uptake with the interior of the furnace, and adjustable means operable from without thatwall of the furnace providing the top wall of the air port for supporting said flue so that said air port entirely surrounds the orifice of said flue.

2. In a furnace of the kind described, in

combination with the furnace walls defining 3. A flue to connect the as or fuel uptake of a furnace of the kind escribed with the furnace chamber, said flue completely inclosing, surroundin and directing the gas or fuel on it's way from the gas or fuel uptake to the point where it joins the air entering the furnace chamber, and means for adjusting said flue from the outside of the furnace, for controlling the direction of the flow of the fuel.

4. A flue to connect the gas or fuel uptake of a furnace of the kind described with the furnace chamber, said flue completely inclosing, surroundin and directing the gas or fuel on its way rom the gas or fuel uptake to the point where it joins the air entering the furnace chamber, and means for supporting said flue, said means including devices for adjusting the flue from the outside of the furnace to control the direction of the flow of fuel therethrough.

5. In a furnace of the kind described, in combination with the gas and air uptakes, means providing a water cooled, metal flue to connect the gas uptake with the interior of the furnace, said flue completely inclosing, surrounding and directing the gas or fuel, means providing an air port completely surrounding the orifice of said flue, and devices for supporting said flue, said devices including adjusting means operable from the outside of the furnace for determining the position of the longitudinal, central axis of said flue.

6. In a furnace of the kind described, in combination with the gas and air uptakes, means providing a water cooled, metal flue to connect the gas uptake with the interior of the furnace, said flue completely inclosing, surroundin and directing the gas or fuel, means provldin an air port completely surrounding the ori cc of said flue, devices for .supporting said flue comprising inlet and discharge pipes, and adjusting devices supported outside of the furnace adapted to determine the position of the longitudinal, central axis of said flue.

7. In a furnace of the kind described, in combination with the gas and air uptakes, a flue to connect the gas uptake with the interior of the furnace, means providing a passageway for the air into the interior of the furnaoe,.means extending through the top wall of the furnace for supporting said flue in said air passageway so that said flue is completely surrounded by the same, and means operable from without the furnace for adjusting said gas flue vertically or horizontally in said air passageway.

8. In a furnace of the kind described, in combination with the gas and air uptakes, a water cooled, tubular, metal flue to connect the gas uptake with the interior of the furnace, means providing a passageway for the air into the interior of said furnace, means J a water cooled, tubular, flue to connect the for supplying and discharging a cooling water to and from said water cooled, tubular, metal flue, and means for adjustably supporting sald flue in said air passageway so as to completely surround the same, Without disturbing the supply and discharge of said cooling water to and from said water cooled flue.

9. In a furnace of the kind described, in combination with the gas and air uptakes,

gas uptake with the interior of the furnace, means providing a passageway for the air into the interior of the furnace, and water cooled means for adj ustably supporting said water cooled gas flue in said air passageway so that said flue is completely surrounded by the same, said adjustable supporting 'its ends, said pipes forming the inlet and discharge for the cooling medium to and from said jacket space,and means for adinterior of thefu'rnace, means providing an air port surrounding the orifice. of said flue,

said gas flue comprising concentrically arranged, inner and outer meta l tubes joined at their ends to form a jacke space for a cooling medium, pipes connected to said as flue at 1ts ends and extendin verticaIly above the furnace, said pipes orming the inlet and discharge of the cooling medium to and from said jacket space, collars on said pipes without the furnace, hand screw devices supporting said collars and adapted to raise or lower the same, and means without the furnace and connected to one of said pipes for imparting a horizontal, adjusting movement to the orifice end of the flue.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention, we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses, March, A. D.-19l8.

GEORGE F. DOWNS. HERBERT F. MILLER, JR. Witnesses:

JULE WUNSCH, WALTER J. BRYAN.

this 26 day of 

